Classic or Dud: U2

Can't find an IEM feed of Adam's, perhaps it's just the cash register loop from Money

Ha.

I imagine all the guitar delay alone makes in-ear count-offs and the like pretty important. Factor in visual cues and running around and it could be a disaster without guidance. Playing arenas is probably the least ideal set-up for any band, let alone one defined by the sound of guitars echoing around.

Anyway, those in-ear monitors intercepts are cool. Here's one I just found with the Red Hot Shitty Peppers, from John's in-ear, which is funny, because it basically sounds like the band minus Kiedis and plus extra guitar and John vox: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CCKtaKmg6fs

If they are playing to a click the delays on the guitar will be simply tempo synched to the pulse, with Dallas Schoo or whoever under the stage punching between presets for each song and section of a song.

U2 touring "The Joshua Tree" in its entirety this summer. I like the album, but snooze of an idea, and also, they've picked what could be the lamest slate of opening acts (like they need one) imaginable: Mumford & Sons, Lumineers and OneRepublic.

I would be excited for this if it was "U2 tours the first side of The Joshua Tree"

Silly idea, shows a complete lack of faith in their new material, please call it a day.

in fairness, have you heard their new material?

Yes. I'd have a complete lack of faith in it, too!

Each set will be twenty versions of "Trip Through Your Wires" and then they leave without acknowledging the crowd.

haha that would be awesome

Tbf, their last tour leaned very heavy on the new album nobody wanted. Like, 7 or 8 songs, I think. So they have faith in their new material, I think they just currently lack new material. Bono's got to eat, and Edge has to keep up those Malibu estate payments.

have they done the same thing with "Achtung Baby" or is it the first time they do that kind of things ?
If so, I predict numerous tours in the coming years !

when did this trend of playing only one album during a tour start ?
The first example I have in mind is Brian Wilson/Pet sounds but maybe it was done before...

I mean, not in the case of bands or artist who only have one album or just play the latest released album, of course !
I mean play an older album with all the tracks in the same order, etc.

they've picked what could be the lamest slate of opening acts (like they need one) imaginable: Mumford & Sons, Lumineers and OneRepublic.

Here's who they had (at various stops) on the original Joshua Tree tour: Lone Justice, The Pretenders, Big Audio Dynamite, UB40, Little Steven, The BoDeans, Mason Ruffner, World Party, Stevie Ray Vaughan, Spear of Destiny, The Waterboys, Hurrah!, Los Lobos, Buckwheat Zydeco, The Pogues, The Alarm, The Silencers, and Lou Reed.

I was just thinking the other day about how they had Disposable Heroes of Hiphoprisy and Primus open for them on the Achtung Baby tour.

public enemy and the sugarcubes opened the dodger stadium achtung baby show i saw

xps: the one time i saw them, which was on the tour before that, we got the gloriously dirgesome Belfegore

Heh, there's an air of "let's not pick a support act that's going to show us up" about those selections. U2 clearly don't want to end up on ILM's "blew off the stage" thread.

The first big concert I ever saw was The Joshua Tree tour in Philly, at the Spectrum, in 1987, I think. Opening was some dude named Mason Ruffner.

xpost there he is, in your list! My man, Mason Ruffner.

Primus and Disposable Heroes opened the Achtung Baby stop I saw, iirc. I've subsequently seen PJ Harvey and Garbage open up for U2. The latter's amps blew up and they had the crowd sing along with Beatles songs while they replaced them, I think.

i saw the trompe-le-monde-era pixies; they did not blow U2 off the stage

http://tours.atu2.com/opening/this-heat

on the popmart tour in Chicago they had Fun Lovin Criminals open, which for a show in a football stadium was just a bit underwhelming.

not sure how this is much different than any other anniversary tour in recent years, cf underworld and springsteen or whoever. also i think the last album that everyone owns in virus format is actually vv good.

Wish I had seen them in Rotterdam with Einstürzende Neubauten opening

I saw them on the Joshua Tree tour. That was at their peak of popularity in the US. The problem with the show, as I recall, was that everybody in the arena sang along with every word at the top of their lungs, and it was hard to hear the actual band.

They sang 40 all the way to the parking lot, it was a little creepy.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bnxLhKfZ1x4

^ Talking about their one support date with U2

excited for bono updating the spoken-word bit in 'bullet the blue sky' for 2k17

Here's who they had (at various stops) on the original Joshua Tree tour: Lone Justice, The Pretenders, Big Audio Dynamite, UB40, Little Steven, The BoDeans, Mason Ruffner, World Party, Stevie Ray Vaughan, Spear of Destiny, The Waterboys, Hurrah!, Los Lobos, Buckwheat Zydeco, The Pogues, The Alarm, The Silencers, and Lou Reed.

Now there is a roster of Greenpeace compilation CD artists.

I saw them on the Joshua Tree tour. That was at their peak of popularity in the US. The problem with the show, as I recall, was that everybody in the arena sang along with every word at the top of their lungs, and it was hard to hear the actual band.

They sang 40 all the way to the parking lot, it was a little creepy.

― kornrulez6969, Monday, January 9, 2017 11:42 AM (twenty minutes ago) Bookmark Flag Post Permalink

I saw them on that tour too, the same week they were on the cover of Time. The crowd wouldn't shut up. Bono gave a lengthy introduction to Peggy Seeger's "Springhill Mining Disaster," and talked about the 1984-85 British miners strike. After the first verse, Bono said to the crowd, "Shut up for a second, willya? It's not the Beatles up here, it's just U2."

Ah, here it is, at 1:04:43
https://youtu.be/zviYtGNNWgs

Saw them once in 1993, Rotterdam, with Utah Saints as support act.

When I saw them in Paris for the "Achtung Baby" tour, the opening act was... the velvet underground !

Waht

Did they blow U2 off the stage?

well, it was in the racecourse and obviously, the sound was lousy.
you could hear the songs but the crowd didn't really get into it.
I'm still glad I can say I saw the VU live !

is it wrong that i am already looking forward to the 30th anniversary tour of bono's classic jam session with tinariwen?

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zqh6x29bc64

please god let us all live that long

haha i love the constant monocle adjusting that goes on whenever a popular old band decides to play shows featuring songs that a lot of people love and will enjoy....it's so sad really, they should have a little moral fibre and play b-sides from the how to dismantle an atomic bomb era

who gives a shit? they seem like they are probably still good live, there's a lot of ppl who would like to hear the joshua tree live what's the harm?

when I saw them at the Elevation tour's opening date in Ft Lauderdale, PJ Harvey was supposed to open; it was why I bought tickets. But strep throat forced U2 to replace them with...the Corrs.

Cor!

I sympathize, but Jon Pareles' review of the Joshua Tree tour redux reads like a robot wrote it. On the other hand, it concludes with this:

The band couldn’t let that energy go; Bono impulsively called for an oldie, “I Will Follow,” U2’s first single. Bono urged the crowd to take the roof off, but this was U2’s longtime habitat, a stadium. There was no roof.

Which maybe is meant to be sort of portentous? But I think it's hilarious.

I'm giving All That You Can't Leave Behind a listen now for the first time in years and while the singles jog memories of the years 2000-2001, I can see why I don't listen to this more often - it's more than a bit dull.

Not to mention that I'm 9 tracks in and I've already heard 'The Sun Always Shines On TV' ('Beaitiful Day'), 'Here Comes Your Man' ('Walk On'), Bon Jovi's 'Always' ('Kite'), an outtake from a shit late-period Stones album ('In a Little While') and just general shittiness ('Peace on Earth') ...

'When I Look at the World' is underrated, tho.

*'Beautiful Day', rather.

('New York' is underrated too, and possibly the best track on the LP. Sounds like it would have been more at home on Zooropa ... just needs more swirly FX.)

you could craft one of their best albums out of the tracks from the tail end of their last 4 LPs.

these songs have all made zero impact on the U2 fanbase but they'd make a good playlist. none of them go beyond mid-tempo(ish), most are slower mood pieces or odd tracks they would never play live.

Breathe
Cedarwood Road
New York
This Is Where You Can Reach Me Now
FEZ (Being Born)
White As Snow
One Step Closer
When I Look At the World
Grace
The Troubles
Cedars of Lebanon

Ready your barbs, new album imminent, new song circulating in some form. Sounds different from what I would expect from them, kind of generic alt rock maybe?